So I’ve been itching to travel since last winter, you know? And jazz festivals are my absolute jam – nothing beats live sax under the stars. Started my hunt by digging through last year’s travel diaries first. Found sticky notes all over my old planners with scribbles like “Montreux???” and “Ask Pierre about Nice gig.”
Cracking Open the Research Tools
Dusted off my laptop around coffee time Tuesday. Went straight to that clunky festival aggregator site everyone uses but never remembers the name of. Filtered by “jazz + worldwide + summer 2023” and boom – 87 options. Way too many. Nearly threw my biscuit at the screen.
The Painful Elimination Game
Started cutting based on my P.L.A.Y. rules:
Practical dates (no mid-week nonsense)
Local transportation (train stops < 30 mins away)
Atmosphere ratings (bashed forums for real comments)
Yearly consistency (dodged first-time festivals)
Spent two nights comparing airline prices against loyalty points. Almost gave up when Copenhagen tickets tripled overnight!
Final Winners After Bloody Research
Here’s where my cash is going this summer:
- Montreal July Edition – That waterfront setup with 10 stages? Chef’s kiss. Pro tip: Airbnb near Rue St-Denis beats downtown hotels
- Cape Town Outdoor – Mountains as concert backdrop sold me. Budget hack: grab street food from Greenmarket Square vendors
- Umbria Winter Session (yep they do summer too!) – Medieval churches echoing piano solos. Booked train from Rome instead of driving after reading parking nightmares
Lessons From My Sleepless Nights
Booking flights 6 months out saved me hundreds, but festivals themselves? Best booked late – prices dropped 30% when lineup gaps filled. Made spreadsheets like my life depended on it, color-coding airlines vs train passes. Still feel like I need three vacations to recover from planning one!
